course, she co-teaches a "Hematology Laboratory" course. McHale also helps host Open Labs ­ a faculty-supervised block of open time, which allows students to practice their clinical skills and ask questions.

"We're very fortunate to have the time and space to help students master the skills they are learning in class." Most other colleges don't offer such opportunities, she added. "Our Open Labs have been so successful we have extended the hours this semester to include morning sessions, and we've seen even more activity."

McHale is so dedicated to her students' success that she often acts as a patient. "I let Phlebotomy students practice drawing blood on me ­ but only after I've seen them perfect the skill," she said,

laughing. "There's no way around it, practice makes perfect."

Always looking for ways to upgrade the program and reduce the time students spend on clinical rotations in hospital settings, McHale has started to apply competency-based clinical rotations to the MLT Program.

"Statewide, medical laboratory programs are very competitive," she explained. "There are a lot of students, but only so many available placements for them to complete their required clinical rotations.

"We have interfaced all of our lab instrumentation using a laboratory-information system ­ computer software that processes, stores and manages data from all stages of medical processes and tests ­ that was generously donated to the college," she said.

"Now, as part of their coursework, Phlebotomy students generate patient information, put it into the computer, print labels and draw samples ­ just like they would in a hospital lab.

"Then, we save those samples and MLT students come in and perform hematology and chemistry testing. It's a simulated real-world medical laboratory right here on campus."

The competency-based model was developed for the student's first clinical practicum in urinalysis and body fluids. Overall, this teaching model reduced the time spent at the

clinical affiliate down from two weeks to three days, she explained.

McHale is in the process of developing similar competency-based rotation programs for chemistry, hematology, microbiology and immunohematology courses.

"It's exciting work," she said. "We have to be the college that's on the forefront. If we can successfully establish these protocols, it could potentially change the way these kinds of programs are run."

While McHale works hard behind the scenes to continuously improve MCC's medical laboratory programs, her real passion is working directly with students.

"We have small class sizes here, which allows me to get to know my students well, and really get involved in their education and their success.

"When they see their professors showing a genuine interest in them ­ as students and as people ­ they try harder. Seeing their dedication and their passion makes it easy for me to go above and beyond to help them."